The Mystery eBook

“You’re ordered aboard the schooner for
the night, Congdon,” said the captain.

“Yes, sir.”

“Is there any reason why you do not wish to
go?”

The man hesitated, looking miserable. Finally
he blurted out, not without a certain dignity:

“I obey orders, sir.”

“Speak out, my man,” urged the captain
kindly.

“Well, sir: it’s Mr. Edwards, then.
You couldn’t scare him off a ship, sir, unless
it was something—­something——­”

He stopped, failing of the word.

“You know what Mr. Edwards was, sir, for pluck,”
he concluded.

“Was!” cried the captain sharply.
“What do you mean?

“The schooner got him, sir. You don’t
make no doubt of that, do you, sir?” The man
spoke in a hushed voice, with a shrinking glance back
of him.

“Will you go aboard under Mr. Ives?”

“Anywhere my officer goes I’ll go, and
gladly, sir.”

Ives was sent aboard in charge. For that night,
in a light breeze, the two ships lay close together,
the schooner riding jauntily astern. But not
until morning illumined the world of waters did the
Wolverine’s people feel confident that
the Laughing Lass would not vanish away from
their ken like a shape of the mist.

V

THE DISAPPEARANCE

When Barnett come on deck very early in the morning
of June 7th, he found Dr. Trendon already up and staring
moodily out at the Laughing Lass. As the
night was calm the tow had made fair time toward their
port in the Hawaiian group. The surgeon was muttering
something which seemed to Barnett to be in a foreign
tongue.

“Parallel case,” said Trendon. “Sailed
from New York back in the seventies. Seven weeks
out was found derelict. Everything in perfect
order. Captain’s wife’s hem on the
machine. Boats all accounted for. No sign
of struggle. Log written to within forty-eight
hours.”

“What became of the crew?”

“Wish I could tell you. Might help to unravel
our tangle.” He shook his head in sudden,
unwonted passion.

“Evidently there’s something criminal
in her record,” said Barnett, frowning at the
fusty schooner astern. “Otherwise the name
wouldn’t be painted out.”

“Painted out long ago. See how rusty it
is. Schermerhorn’s work maybe,” replied
Trendon. “Secret expedition, remember.”

“In the name of wonders, why should he do it?”

“Secret expedition, wasn’t it?”

“Um-ah; that’s true,” said the other
thoughtfully. “It’s quite possible.”

“Captain wishes to see both of you gentlemen
in the ward room, if you please,” came a message.